I knew I had to not lie to Miya anymore. I wouldn't have the time to sit down and talk to him though with Jia making new plans and the already happened merger, we had to go to Hong Kong soon. I prepared Miya for that trip, telling him I would probably have to leave soon but since it was just a walk through and set up on Jia's part, I probably wouldn't stay long there. Miya nodded and said it was okay. When Jia told me when we were leaving, Miya started packing my suitcase since I had to leave in two days. As Miya sat on the bed, his shorts on as always, one of my button downs on over the black short material, his beautiful brown hair over his eye, he said,

"Jo, when you travel, what do you do?"

"What do you mean, what I do? I work."

"Not all the time, You obviously have some down time when you call me right?"

"Yeah but it's just for a little while."

"Then what do you when you're not working? I don't think you can everyday you're away."

"I walk around, I get to know the city and I buy crap. Which is all the shit I come back home with."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. Why, what did you think I did?"

"I don't know what yakuza do. I thought you partied or something."

"I do but it's just with my boss and the associates there. It's not even much fun."

I realized how I was lying to him right there. Hell, in a recent celebration last time I got blown by Akio and fondled by three different girls all while trying to gain a tolerance to more booze while I smoked like a chimney. I couldn't bring myself to say that though. I kept saying it in my head and it just sounded so wrong no matter how I phrased it. I smoothed my hair back from my face as I picked up some of the things Miya folded and said,

"I'll miss you when I leave."

"I will too. I miss you now just thinking about you leaving."

I smiled leaning over and kissing his cheek as he sighed and said,

"You think it'll just be a week?"

"I hope so. If it's longer then that I'll call."

"Okay."

He sighed, his hair falling over the sides his face as he said,

"Jo, I love you."

"I love you too."

I kissed him before I let him finish my suitcase.

Within the week, I traveled with the rest of my associates to Hong Kong's capital, Victoria. The city was beautiful though full of open crime and drugs were everywhere. Kenimin and Lotus were there to receive us when we got there. Lotus still was the same as before. She didn't even dare approach Jia though she looked at him for at least a hello. Jia shook Kenimin's hand as they went on to talk about business. He didn't even look at Lotus. Kenimin began speaking in Chinese again as Jia said,

"Kenimin..."

He gave him this look as the old man said,

"Right...I forgot. Forgive me."

"It's all right. What were you saying?"

"This city is pretty big. I'll have to get some of my own people to show you around. Of course there is the matter of other triads."

"Where will I be setting up?"

"You won't need to. I'm allowing you to control the Black Hand as my second in command."

"What?"

"It's why I allowed you to marry my daughter. While I am alive, I will control this, you as my son in law and second in command as you keep the 36 Moons. We will be associates. When my time comes, you will have the Black Hand added to your empire."

"You did this so Hong Kong would remain untouched."

"I rather have the 36 Moons as friends. I know what happens to your enemies."

Jia gave a small smirk.

We had dinner that night with Kenimin and some of his associates along with Lotus. She was required to sit by Jia's side while on his other side sat Toki. He wasn't too pleased with having to share Jia's company. I don't think he was aware of Jia and Tsubasa though he probably had a really good idea about it. I had dinner, picking up some Chinese here and there just for the sake of knowing a few words that could get my idea across. Kenimin laughed as he said,

"What's your name?"

He looked at me as I put my drink down and said,

"Akui."

It flowed so naturally I didn't even hesitate in saying that, rather then my real name. Kenimin nodded as he said,

"You look younger then most."

I gave a nod, part of my hair falling over my eye as I swept it back and said,

"Hai...I didn't start too long ago."

He laughed slightly, looking at Jia as Lotus poured him another drink. Then like an insult, as Jia spoke to Kenimin, he took the newly poured cup and passed it around himself and set it beside Toki. Toki took it and began to drink as Lotus set the bottle down. Jia then nodded and said,

"Hai, he's the baby here. We all call him Aka-chan meaning Baby."

Kenimin smiled as he said,

"How old is he?"

"Nineteen."

"Like Lotus."

Jia was almost thirteen years old then her...probably more. Jia looked at Lotus for a moment and was about to say something when Toki set his now empty cup down and said,

"When we gonna work?"

Jia turned back to Toki as he said,

"Soon. Kenimin how soon?"

"I'll have my people take yours out around the city tomorrow. You along with your second in command will stay with me as we speak business wise."

Jia nodded as he said,

"All right. After dinner we'll check into a hotel and-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but your people can check into a near by hotel. You'll stay with Lotus."

"Ah, I rather not be without my guard. It'll be awkward."

"You can have your guards Jia. I just rather not have you stay in a hotel."

"Hm..."

Jia thought about it for a moment before Toki nudged him. The two looked at each other as Jia shook his head as he said,

"It's okay Kenimin. I'll feel safer in a hotel with my people."

Kenimin nodded as he said,

"Understandable."

Jia nodded, leaving it at that.

Later that night, we went to a hotel, checking in. I had my room with Akio again and I sat down, yawning as I said,

"I'm so exhausted."

"You are?"

"Yeah. I just feel so sluggish."

He laughed as he took off his coat and tie as he sat down, taking off his shoes as he sighed and said,

"I'm a little tired. I can go for a drink though."

"Oh....me too."

Akio went to the small mini fridge as he came back with two different bottles. He gave me one as he took his cigarettes out of his pockets and then took one out as he lit it. I twisted open the cap from the bottle as I took a drink and exhaled as I said,

"I'm lying to Miya."

"About?"

"Everything. I feel so guilty. He asked me what I did when I was out of town and I said just work. It's so not true though. But I couldn't tell him I'm fucking around..."

"You're not fucking around. You're not fucking anyone but him."

"I know but...like...just doing that to my tsuki feels like I've been fucking around on him."

"You stopped fucking around on him."

He leaned back, a cigarette in the same hand he was holding the small whiskey bottle in. His eyes looked at me as he smiled slightly. I then leaned back as I said,

"It's not that I wouldn't fuck you....you know that right?"

His eyes got that seduction in them that made me loose my train of thought as I cleared my throat, taking a sip of my drink as I heard him saying,

"Baby-chu, I don't know what I'm gonna do about you. I really don't feel like having my ass kick, but I think you're well worth it."

"I couldn't do it for two main reasons."

"Which are?"

"I couldn't allow you to get hurt because of me. And Miya."

"So sweet of you."

I finished the bottle as I set it beside me and yawned and said,

"I'm about ready to fall asleep."

"Still got no tolerance huh?"

"No, I've been tired."

He laughed as he said,

"I know. I was just teasing you."

I heard him setting the empty glass bottle on the table between our beds as he leaned over me, his knee on my bed making the mattress dip in as kept his other leg on the floor. He leaned down as he kissed me softly and said,

"Good night."

I leaned up, making us kiss again as I said,

"Good night."

Gentle kisses often led to other things and we kissed for a while, his body weight resting comfortably on top of me. I felt his hands pulling of my tie as his skilled fingers started opening my shirt. I let him all while kissing his face, pulling back his hair. As I did so, I saw that faint white line again. His secret, his shame, the fact that he wasn't naturally that good looking. I had to wonder what he was really like back then. I wish I knew him before he was ever a yakuza. I found my train of thought lingering around him and that scar. I wondered if he did it just for the reasons he said he did, or was it really to be someone else. He didn't want to be Teru anymore, not of mind, body or even soul. I could kind of understand why he would reject himself...but all the same it made me wonder. I lost interest in fooling around with him as I said,

"Akio?"

"Hm?"

"Can I call you Teru?"

He gave me this weird look like I had grown three heads and raised an eyebrow at me as he said,

"Why?"

"I don't know...I kinda want to."

"It's not my name."

"It was once. You let Toki call you Teru."

"That's different."

"Why?"

"Because...I couldn't stop Toki if I wanted to anyway from calling me Teru. I would appreciate if you didn't."

"Are you ashamed of it?"

"What's with all the questions? If this is your subtle way of saying stop then I will Baby-chu. You don't have to distract me."

"I'm not trying to. I'm just asking a question."

He sighed in this annoyed manner. I never saw him get annoyed with me before...like I had probably asked one too many questions and my adorable, child like curiosity, was no longer cute. I felt scared all the sudden, like if I annoyed Akio that would be another person. Most of the yakuza don't really talk to me other then to baby me or give me orders. Akio was someone I considered a friend. I didn't want him to be upset with me. I quickly put my arms around him as I held him close, burying my face in his neck and shoulder as I said,

"I'm sorry. I won't talk anymore."

I felt his arm come around me as his hands played with my hair and said,

"It's not that I don't want you to talk to me Baby-chu. I just have a hard time talking about my past."

I lowered my voice as I said,

"I didn't mean to pry."

His fingers ran through my hair as he kissed my forehead and said,

"Baby-chu, stop hiding from me."

I leaned my head back on the pillow as he looked at me, his familiar face back to normal as he said,

"Don't worry about it okay? Just call me Akio and we'll be fine."

I nodded, no longer wanting to push the subject.

We would have proceeded further in our more tender moment, but Aoki and Aya knocked on our door to go switch guards with them. It was our turn to stand guard outside Jia's room. We stood outside his door for hours like always, Akio and I talking softly from time to time just to not be bored. Around three that morning, I saw Toki walking down the hallway as he lit a cigarette. He had a bandanna tied around his head as he was khaki jumpsuit, his sneakers in his free hand. He walked up to us as he said,

"He sleeping?"

Akio nodded as Toki said,

"He alone?"

"Yeah man, who else would be in there?" Akio asked.

Toki shrugged as he said,

"I don't know. Let me in."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Oh, text me like...ten minutes before you switch shifts with Jun and Mikkie."

I knew why. Akio nodded as he let Toki in Jia's room and then closed the door. I was expecting to hear the same sounds I heard in Bangkok, but I didn't hear anything. I started to wonder if of all things Toki can't do, keeping his word is one of the things he can. Ten minutes before our shift ended, Akio texted Toki like he said he would. Toki came out, just the way he came in and I peeked in, seeing Jia was now awake, in his bathrobe but I could see he had pajamas underneath. He was also smoking and having a drink. He looked a little unhappy, almost angry as he knocked back another drink almost as quickly as he poured it. Toki then closed the door behind him, his sneakers now on as he said,

"What time is it?"

"Ten to four."

Toki nodded as Akio said,

"What were you doing there?"

"Talkin to my best friend what else would I do in there with a married man?"

Akio laughed as he said,

"True, true."

"Besides I got more important things to think about now."

I turned around as I saw Jun and Mikkie talking as Toki said,

"Much more important things."

He walked past us and up to Mikkie as he hugged him, picking him up from the floor. Mikkie gasped, making a face other then the usual expression he has as he was surprised. He held Toki's arms as he said,

"Toki! Put me down!"

He was put back down as Mikkie adjusted his coat and whispered,

"What's wrong with you!?"

"Glad to see you Ghosto."

Jun rolled his eyes as he said,

"Well you saw him, time to work."

Jun started tugging on Mikkie's wrist for them to go as Toki said,

"What's your deal and never wanting me to talk to him? It's none of your fuckin business anyway."

"Because I know you never wanna talk with just anyone. You got one thing on your mind, always!"

"So what's it to you unless you're fuckin jealous."

"Of you? Please. No one could ever be jealous of a lazy sack of shit like you. What is there to be jealous of?"

Toki shoved him and Jun shoved him back. A fight was about to break out when Mikkie got in between them. They wouldn't dare throw any of the punches they had ready as Mikkie said,

"Stop it both of you. Jun, let's go."

Toki grabbed his wrist and spun him around as he said,

"Hey, what about me?"

"I'll see you tomorrow morning Toki. Good night."

He pulled his wrist free as he walked with Jun and Akio and I went to bed.

The next morning, we got up and got ready to go walk around Victoria. We had to learn this city quickly and well. I wasn't sure if I could learn yet another city by heart, but that's what Akio was there for. He and I learned and whatever I forgot, he remembered and whatever he forgot I remembered. It worked better that way. But of course it was shit if we both forgot something. Anyway, the members of the Black Hand took us around, showing us the city, the shops, the stores, the attractions and then showed us the underground. It seemed that every city had it's beautiful surface and then it's spoiled rotten core underneath. We went through the back alleys where drug dealers sold their goods, where drug users popped a needle in broad daylight with no shame, where the stench of rotted food and bodies was never missed. Blood stained the gutters, mixing with the foul smell of urine, vomit and trash. Street gangs stole and robbed tourists and even locals blind, fights would break out without a cop in sight. I watched as a circle of people gathered around one person and beat him senseless, nearly killing him before running off, laughing and screaming along the way. The Black Hand was unfazed by any of this. So where most of the 36 Moons. But I still and turned and looked in shock as I would see things like this. The Black Hand showed us their drug houses, their whore houses and where they set up shops to make porn videos. The girls used were doped up on heroin, walking around trying to get more so they would do anything, including staring in a porn movie. Bootleg copies were sold through Hong Kong making them a big profit. Extortion was another big part of their trade and so it went on and on to add to their list of prostitution, drug dealing and probably hundreds of other crimes. Jia always said he wasn't a drug dealer but now it seemed he had alined with some of the biggest drug dealers in the game. I spent the whole day in the city along side of Akio, Toki, Aoki and Aya. The six heads of the Black Hand were some of Kenimin's best so we were given a detailed tour. After a few hours and I finally got desensitized to the usual sights, we were taken to dinner. It was a really relaxed atmosphere where everyone laughed and talked. We drank and smoked and it was actually a pretty good time. Toki was texting someone back and forth for most of the night, a cigarette in his hand as he would look down at his phone every now and then in between smoking and drinking. Anyway, after dinner, we were called back to our hotel were Jia had spent the past couple of hours talking to Kenimin, the business heads of the Black Hand along with Tai and Gabriel. They had outlined property, the whole city down to the last stone, people and there was still a list of people Jia had to meet. We all sat down in the small living room like area of Jia's hotel room as he and Kenimin spoke.

"I can't speak Chinese. I know they can't speak Japanese so I hope English isn't a problem."

Kenimin nodded as he waved his hand and said,

"Yes, English is fine. They won't understand why you can't speak Chinese though."

"I hate having to explain myself over and over again. I don't understand why they can't understand that I can't Chinese. It's not that big of any issue."

"Well you know how the older generations are. Very traditional."

"I know. I've dealt with that before. Will these be your associates I plan to meet?"

"Yes. They are. They will let you know a little about any possible enemies as well. They'll also want to know about your marriage."

Jia rolled his eyes slightly as he said,

"Kenimin, you do realized, I'm not to happy with the idea of being married right?"

"I know. But you have to keep appearances. I would have killed to have a wife like Lotus at your age."

"Wow...how old do you think I am?"

"Can't be over thirty-two."

"Flattered but I am."

Kenimin laughed slightly before he said,

"Anyway, tomorrow I'll have you introduced to my associates here. Once that's done, you can do whatever you please here."

"Thank you. I just plan to look over the city once more before returning to Tokyo."

"So soon?"

"Maybe see if I can get an apartment here. I like to have a place to stay in a city I know I'm going to be in a lot."

"That's not a bad idea. You should get a residency here. It'll make everything much easier for you...travel wise."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking as well. I'll do that before I leave."

Kenimin then stood, his guards getting his coat on for him as he said,

"I'll see you tomorrow Jia. Around noon. Is that okay?"

"That's fine."

Everyone began leaving the room and once the final Black Hand member closed the door behind him, Jia sat down on his bed as he sighed and leaned his head forward. He was probably exhausted but not from Toki since they were still on good terms. He then said,

"Can someone get me a drink please?"

Everyone looked at me...of course the baby also means the waiter, so I went and got him a small bottle of rum and brought it back to him. He twisted it open as he took a long drink. He then sighed as he said,

"Tomorrow I'll have lunch with Kenimin and then after more business, we'll meet these associates of his. After that, I'll look over the city and see if I can't get an apartment here. I recommend all of you do the same. I have a feeling we'll be traveling in and out of here a lot."

Everyone nodded as Jia took another drink from the bottle, finishing it off as Toki then sat beside him as he said,

"You okay Li?"

"Other then exhausted...I'm fine."

Jia then dismissed us except for the two that had to stand guard. I went back to my hotel room with Akio.

The two of us laid in my bed that night, he was sleeping beside me, his arm over my back as I looked at him, watching him sleep. We had talked for hours before Akio decided to get some sleep so he could be more awake when we have to take our guard shift later that night. I liked watching Akio sleep, he looked very peaceful. Like all his inner demons, the shallowness, the fight he faces everyday was gone. He was at peace. I smiled, looking at him, watching him sleep, his lips slightly open. He looked so angelic. I smiled as I pushed back a few strands of his hair from his face, admiring his false beauty. I keep saying it's false though it's now him. I've never know him in any other way...and I was attracted to this. False or not, it's still him. I leaned over to him and I kissed him softly on his somewhat parted lips. He sighed before falling into his sleep again. I kept thinking about a lot of things that I connected to Akio and to myself over and over again. He wasn't fake, he was what he always wanted to be though he changed himself to do it. I was lying to Miya to hide who I really was though it didn't start out that way. I didn't want to lie....but I didn't want to stop being me either. I laid there for a while longer, looking at Akio as he slept before we were called to take our shifts.